Grading and Career Development - Job Re-evaluation

If the duties of a post change significantly since being matched to its existing evaluated grade, an application for re-evaluation may be appropriate. In the majority of cases, this would be as a result of broader changes within a department or team and is less common for isolated roles. Therefore any application for re-evaluation must be endorsed by both the post holder and line management and be supported by an appropriately authorised business case.

Potential outcomes of an application for re-evaluation

It would be unrealistic to expect that every job submitted for re-evaluation will achieve the expected outcome or that all employees will be satisfied with the outcome. Having reviewed the submitted job description, the panel may determine:

• The job be regraded downwards
• The job be regraded upwards
• There is no change to the grade of the job

Line management must then decide what action to take, which may include:

• A redistribution of existing tasks/duties/accountabilities to maintain the current grade of the role
• Applying a reduction in base pay
• Applying an increase in base Pay
• Applying other options (e.g. use of the Higher Responsibility Zone or a Responsibility Allowance)

If a change of grade is determined, Line Managers must action the regrade by submitting the Online HR Request - Regrade which can be found in the Form Store. It should be noted that the final decision and authority to apply the outcome of an application to regrade sits with line management.

There is no formal right of appeal to the outcome of the Job Evaluation Panel’s decision.

Please contact your HR Business Partner to discuss job descriptions before submission to be re-evaluated by the Panel. In some cases, amendments to job descriptions may not be significant or substantial enough to warrant going to Panel or be considered for re-evaluation.

Guidance on submitting a job description to the Job Evaluation Panel for re-evaluation

• All job descriptions submitted for re-evaluation must be signed-off by senior school/department managers before submission to the Job Evaluation Panel. This ensures that the roles are properly aligned to wider and longer term strategy in the Faculty/Service.
• All job descriptions being submitted for re-evaluation must be supported by a business case that has been signed off by senior school/department managers and seen by HR Business Partners and Finance Officers. This ensures that revised roles, if they attain a revised grad,e are properly aligned to wider and longer term strategy and finances in the Faculty/Service.
• Please contact your HR Business Partner in the first instance to discuss job descriptions before submission to the Panel.
• Once evaluated and assigned a grade, each job description will be given a new unique reference number. This can then be used to identify and track when job descriptions have been evaluated.
• Additionally, each ‘approved’ job description will be assigned the following version control:

Job Description Author:	Name - Job Title
Evaluated by:	Job Evaluation Panel	Date evaluated:	DD/MM/YYYY
Career Pathway:	ERE/MSA/TAE/CAO	Evaluated Grade:
Unique Reference Number:	Provided by Job Evaluation Panel
Amended:	Y/N?	Date amended:	DD/MM/YYYY
Amendment Author	Name - Job Title
Re-evaluated:	Y/N?	Date re-evaluated:	DD/MM/YYYY

Writing a business case to support request for re-grade

It is particularly important for line management authorisers to address, as part of the business case to support the re-evaluation;

• How an application to re-evaluate the role aligns with School, Faculty and University strategy;
• Potential implications on other roles of similar work and pay, both in the immediate School/Faculty as well as the wider University;
• Potential equal pay implications in the School and Faculty/Service;
• How an application to re-evaluate the role supports any budgetary constraints or initiatives in the School and Faculty/Service;
• Whether other options have been considered and rejected (e.g. use of the Higher Responsibility Zone, or a Market Supplement or Responsibility Allowance etc.).

The business case for re-evaluation will be submitted to and authorised by Faculty Management Teams prior to submission of the job description to the Job Evaluation Panel. The role of the UEB level member of faculty management teams and HR Business Partners in this process is to ensure sight of and consistency with University wide practice and strategic workforce planning.

Business case template for job evaluation (requests for regrade)

Job Evaluation Organogram/Structure Chart Template

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